Psalm 37:7a

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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Have you ever been in “that” place?
You know… that overwhelming, exhausting, empty, grieving place? Were you
grieving for something or someone you once had… and found yourself struggling
to admit that you still desperately wanted them in your life for that
moment in time? Did you silently ask all the wrong questions, until finally, you realized that the One who loves you
most has all the right answers?

Often I have struggled to truly live
in the “present”. I hold on to the sweetest memories, and sadly, the
bitter moments of the “past”, the very things that crowd out the joy of the Father’s presence
in the “now”. I have quietly struggled with what isn’t… instead of being openly
thankful for the reality of what is. I have wrestled with that ongoing fear of what might be
waiting for me some place down the road, instead of celebrating
what Jesus Himself has invited me to experience in this place… the very place
He has led me to right now.

So often, just before I've picked up a pen and
paper, my scribblings have begun with a desperate
cry, one full of questions … and pain… and unrest. And yet Jesus meets me right
where I am. I find myself wrapped in His arms, His Holy Spirit quietly whispering His promise of peace and mercy, and then He invites me into His rest. It is in that
moment that I allow Him to fill up the empty places left in my soul with
Himself… His presence, His love and His joy. Yes, I am even filled with His joy in this weary
moment and in this foreign place.

If you look on my poetry page today you will find something I wrote years ago. As I sat at my Mom’s bedside for almost 5
weeks, painfully watching her breathe what might be her last at any moment, I
watched her struggle and found myself struggling… knowing in my heart that
she never wanted to be on life support. But I listened to my Dad tell her that he
was longing for the day he would take her home & cook for her & care
for her once more. And in that dark place, I found myself desperately asking Jesus to give me a
little more time with her. But right there in my selfishness, in my pain,
in that place of unrest… He began to fill up the empty caverns in my soul with
Himself… with His presence, His love, His joy and especially His rest. As I
released her into His waiting arms, I exhaled and I relaxed… and then I relinquished my
own weary grip.

It was in those weak and weary
moments that He revealed to me this truth… that it’s not necessary for you or I to be
strong enough to hold onto Him. He is the One who holds tightly on
to us. I am discovering that so often the Father allows the emptiness, the
exhaustion, the grief for this very purpose... that He might draw us to Himself.
And in that moment we will experience what it feels like to “rest in His grip”.

Monday, April 13, 2015

As I sat in the home of some good
friends of ours last night, ate dinner and fellowshipped with three other
couples, WE began to watch a video series called “Radical”. I was overwhelmed
with a new reality. It is the reality that, although I am extremely blessed to
know Jesus personally, I am also responsible to live out the life of a Jesus
follower. Now… I know this shouldn’t have been a “new” reality. The sad truth
is, in our church culture today, we often assume that all we have to do is say
our prayers, attend church, love God and try to be nice to others. It seems so
simple when you look at it that way. The problem comes when you realize that
believing in Jesus and being a follower of Jesus are radically different. The
lesson began to unfold with a few simple, yet challenging questions…

1) Do I believe what the Bible says
about the church?

2) Do I believe what the Bible says
about the lost?

3) Do I believe what the Bible says
about the poor?

WOW. Just WOW is all I can whisper
right now. As we began to consider what the disciples were asked to do when
they became followers of Jesus, and when we began to discuss what those in
other countries today are being asked to do as followers of Jesus, it became
very obvious that our American culture has “dumbed down” our calling to actually
be obedient to the words Jesus spoke about following Him. We have conveniently
accepted the lie that all we really “have to do” is be a good person… most of
the time…

If we would spend just a little more
time reading the “words of Jesus”, we might find out that there really is more
to being a “follower of Jesus”. We might realize that we have been called to be
HIS hands and feet to a lost world… to so many people who are watching and waiting
to see if we live out what we say we believe. This is admittedly overwhelming,
and yet it is also inspiring for me to ponder! If we really LOVED the lost… and
if we really LOVED the poor… and if we really looked like the church that
scriptures described so beautifully, how would our lives be different? What
kind of RADICAL changes might need to be made in our life in order to reflect
Jesus to this lost and hurting world around us? Can we truly be recognized as a
Jesus follower by our actions today, or yesterday, or last week, or last
month? Based on our daily choices, will
others be drawn to this amazing Jesus that we claim to follow?

Whew… on my face before the Father
right now. Will you join me in asking the hard questions??? And then… be a true
“follower of Jesus” alongside me.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

This morning as I
spent an extended time praying for someone else, who needs You desperately
right now, my thoughts began to race, and I struggled with a little twinge of
fear… fear that seemingly came out of nowhere. I am not one to easily be shaken
like that, and I know without a doubt that fear does not come from the Father.
So I immediately went back to some scriptures that I had read earlier this
week, and realized that, at the time, I had no idea how much peace they would
bring me. I had read in Psalms 27“Yes, though an army marches
against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me.”
And then a few verses later it says
“Listen to my pleading Lord! Be merciful and send the help I need. My heart has
heard You say “Come and talk with Me, oh My people.” And my heart responds,
“Lord, I am coming.””

It amazes me how
often the Father will bring verses to us in preparation for a future need. As I
look back over my life and see His handwriting all over the walls of my heart
and mind, I am reminded how often He spoke His words to me in advance, and they
were exactly what I would need in the days that followed. I think back on the time
I was pregnant with my second child, and I knew what to expect, especially
since I had been scheduled to deliver by C-section, just like I delivered my
first baby. And yet, just a week before the date, I began to struggle with
fear. A sweet friend encouraged me to sing a favorite hymn or chorus as I was
wheeled into the surgery room, one that reminded me of the Fathers love and
protection. I quickly explained to her that, if I began to sing loud enough for
anyone else to hear me… they would quickly put me out of my misery… and out of
their misery too! Singing is definitely not a gift the Father chose to bless me
with!

Alas, as I hung up
the phone that morning 35 years ago, I began to pray for the Lord to take away
my fears. Immediately He reminded me of the 2 verses I had just memorized in
the Navigator bible study we were involved in at the time. First, Isaiah
41:10 tells us“Don’t panic. I’m with
you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll
help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” And the second verse was Isaiah 26:3“You will keep in perfect peace all who
trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.” Having His words planted deep in my heart,I entered into that amazing miracle of participating
in new life with absolute confidence in the God who speaks to us when we cry
out to Him.

Just like He had provided exactly
what I would need ahead of time 35 years ago, the verses in Psalms reminded me
this morning of His provision once again. Just as the passage I mentioned
earlier said, in Psalm 27, I am once again choosing to proclaim His
words spoken to me in preparation, “My
heart has heard You say “Come and talk to Me, oh My people”. And my heart
responds “Lord, I am coming.””

Multiplying blessings in the blink of an eye…

It all started with 3 weddings in 6 months... Then 9 grandbabies in 9 years. I sure LOVE my blessings! Aydin, Boston, Avry, Jaxson, Mira, Charlie, Wyatt, Josslyn and Sammi. And of course, those six special kids that actually gave me the privilege of becoming a Nana!

Dartha Lewis

Join me on my journey...Friday, March 13, 2015 Much of my scribblings over the years have had to do with “my struggles” and “God’s comfort”, especially during those seasons without answers. Finding “rest” has been a lifetime pursuit. Just when I think I have attained it, I find that rest is fleeting... mostly because my faith is fleeting. In recent years, I have come to understand that "resting in His grip" is a daily journey... Not just a once and forever accomplishment. I have been asked to share my writings, my random thoughts and my poetry many times over the years, but never felt I had been through anything others might be experiencing… until recently. The last few years I have discovered that there are so many people around each of us that can relate to the God-given desire, the unquenchable longing to “Rest in Him”. So today I am finally ready to share what I've discovered about His overwhelming grace and mercy, and along the way, I hope to share with others some glimpses of HIS amazing track record in my life.